Naked Hearts
New York City, New York, United States
Music
Press
" the skillfully shaded indie-rock band Naked Hearts has an impressively versatile sound partially, due to the fact that members Amy Cooper and Noah Wheeler take turns singing lead" - Time Out NY
Live and in person, Brooklyns the Naked Hearts are explosive, charming, and [something] exciting. With Amy Cooper on hollow-body electric guitar and Noah Wheeler on drums, the impeccably turned-out pair ooze a fuzzy rock sincerity; every song is a stripped-down challenge to cut loose. Live, this guitar and drums duo is something like Williamsburgs 2009 answer to Local H. On record, theyre somewhere between Sleater-Kinney and Sonic Youth. Both versions of the band are fantastic, but Im partial to the hollow-bodied messiness of their live show. Call me old fashioned. - Chris Chafin
to ignore this band would be to ignore whats going on in New York these days. This band has catapulted themselves into the New York spotlight
- Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
"The New York City duo nicely combine alt-country, haunting echo, indie-rock, and more on their debut... A bit hard to pin down genre-wise, The Naked Hearts flourish in that ambiguity" -
(1.21.09)
- QRO Magazine
Naked Hearts rolled into The Mercury Lounge on Sunday and gave a master class in moody, darkly sexual rock 'n' roll. Which is lucky, since the opener turned out to the Internet’s new best friends, the supposedly mysterious band of fresh-faced college kids, Cults, playing their first show. Sit down, junior, class is in session.
Naked Hearts is a Brooklyn-based duo, Amy Cooper and Noah Wheeler, with Amy on guitar and Noah on drums. Their songs draw on the sort of nihilistic and self-destructive sexual adventures most of us would rather forget. One minute, Amy purrs that you should “call on her when you are down,” or that she wonders what it would feel like “to be yours just for a day,” then she turns on you and coldly cautions that “no one loves you like I do,” sounding less like “I love you the most” and more like “no one will ever love you but me.” It’s aggressive and submissive, angry and pleading. Live, Amy looks like she means every word, but never like she’s doing something as crass as putting on an act.
The music is appropriately dark and thundering, with chords that reverberate in your soul. The music the band wrings out of those two instruments, and the members' two voices, often in counterpoint or harmony, is intoxicating.
It plunges you into a sonic whirl of confusing emotions. When Naked Hearts tells you to “turn the fucking stereo up,” it’s not to have a fun party. It’s because shit is too depressing with the stereo quiet. Good points of comparison would be The Breeders, or Liz Phar fronting the White Stripes (especially on “Boyfriend”).
- Chris Chafin
"Then there are enthusiastic newbies, The Naked Hearts, who explore the various ways in which a boy/girl duo can make you dance, fall in love, and cry all at the same time." - T. Cole Rachel - T. Cole Rachel
Discography
Mass Hysteria - Full Length
Released May 11, 2010
Released Digitally
All songs recorded by Matt Boynton at Vacation Island Recordings Brooklyn, NY.
Mastered by Joe Lambert Mastering
These Knees - EP
Released Jan. 2009
Released Digitally and limited edition Vinyl
All Songs recorded by Dan Long at Headgear Studios, Brooklyn.
Mastered by John Golden, John Golden Mastering
Photos
Bio
Stripped down and equal parts tough and sweet the moody boy-girl duo Naked Hearts are a force to be reckoned with. Their dynamic sound ranges from explosive pop to grungy drones. Drawing on influences from 90s bands such as the Breeders and the Lemonheads to more experimental bands like Blonde Redhead and Sonic Youth, Naked Hearts explore the friction and harmony within relationships.
Amy Cooper (guitar / vocals) and Noah Wheeler (drums / vocals) met by chance at a New York City club where they were both playing the same night. Their immediate connection led to Wheeler joining Cooper on tour promoting her second solo release. While on the road they began writing songs together, the first was called Naked Hearts.
Naked Hearts have toured and shared bills with bands such as The Raveonettes, The Black Angels, Pattern Is Movement, Starfucker, PWRFL Power and The Antlers. And have toured all over the states as well as internationally in Mexico City, and Panama City.
Naked Hearts recently released their first full-length record entitled MASS HYSTERIA May 11, 2010. MASS HYSTERIA was recorded with producer/ engineer Matt Boynton (Gang Gang Dance, Bat For Lashes) and Mastered by Joe Lambert.
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